The Color Yellow
by Lady Saffron of Xybria
Summary: Julia Gailes of the famous Gailes Clan comes to Blue Bay. Her father and brothers are famous for their X-Games competition titles. There's a twist to the tale when Julia reveals her past to the Ninjas. Dustin x OC
1. Chapter 1: Bikes

**_Author's Note: _**While rifling through old school files in my external hard drive, I came across this. I wrote this back in college during microbiology. Yeah, I was that bored, and revisiting one of my favorite Power Ranger team-ups kept me awake while looking at un-pronounce-ables under a microscope.

Cheers!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Power Rangers Ninja Storm. The Gailes Clan is mine.

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Bikes**_

It was three in the afternoon. Julia shaded her Asian eyes from the sun with her hand. She was supposed to pick something up for her brother and meet him at the race track, the dirt pit. He was a moto-cross athlete. Getting on her bike, she pedaled over to _Storm Chargers_.

The bells at the door clanged against each other as she entered.

"Hi, Jules!" came a shout from behind the counter. Julia turned to the voice and smiled.

"Hey, Kelly," she smiled at the blonde woman who owned the shop. Kelly made her way from behind a stack of boxes to the counter. "So, uh, is that thing my brother ordered here?"

Kelly laughed. She reached for something under the counter, a black plastic bag. "Yes, the 'thing' your brother ordered is here," she handed it over. "You know, Jules, I find it quite strange."

"Strange, what?" shrugged Jules as she put the plastic bag in her bag pack.

"You and Nathan. I mean, you guys are in one family but you're not the least bit interested in motorcycles," she pushed. "How come?"

"Ugh, Kelly," groaned Jules. "Yeah, I have four brothers who are all into extreme sports. All managed by my dad, who's a Formula One legend," she rolled her eyes. "Hmm… strange why his only daughter isn't into those kind of things, huh?" she sarcastically laughed. "Maybe it's the fact that we're all adopted? Nah," she laughed at Kelly's incredulous expression. "Let's just say I get as much a thrill in getting lost in a book as much as hitting the dirt pit."

"Wait a second," Kelly came around the counter and faced Jules. "You know how to ride?"

_Uh-oh, _thought Jules. _Cornered._

"Uh, yeah, I do," Jules slowly nodded, "But it's not my thing. I mean, hello, two brothers into Formula One racing, the third into Tony Hawk, and the fourth into moto-cross racing and freestyling? Dad got it into his head that if his boys could do that, then his baby girl could too. So, to please him, I took up motorbike with Nathan, but that was before I discovered the world of books and left the extreme sports arena to the boys."

Jules saw Kelly raise an eyebrow at her, her blue eyes widening with disbelief.

"So, you can ride, you just choose not to," she clarified.

"Yeah," confirmed Jules. "Hey, I gotta get this thing to Nathan," she waved a bye to Kelly.

"You know the name of that thing," said Kelly, her hands on her hips. Jules turned and faced the elder woman. From the look on Kelly's face, Jules could tell she was a bit upset that Jules didn't want anything to do with extreme sports. Jules had to hide a smile; she knew how ardent Kelly was in proving the women were just as competitive in extreme sports as their male counterparts were.

_She's probably thinking I'm a waste,_ thought Jules.

"Yeah, a hefty pair of moto-cross racing gloves with excellent grips and air ventilation to prevent slip." She saw Kelly slowly shake her head with sad astonishment. Turning, Jules headed over to the dirt pits.

As she rode, she took in the sights of Blue Bay Harbor. Her dad and brothers were in town for a while to compete, and they dragged Jules along with them, hoping that some sense would get knocked into her. It's been two years since she got on a motorbike and raced professionally. She gave that up because, like her mother, she was into literature and the arts. Her brothers, especially her dad were upset by the change, but they couldn't do anything about her passion. They tried to deter her from her novels, but they had yet to succeed that feat.

When she got there, she propped her bike against a tree and searched for her brother Nathan. Shading her eyes from the afternoon sun, she scanned the pits. She walked around, only too familiar with the helmets and zip-up suits sporting various sponsors' logos. She must have seen the certain logos a million times, maybe even before she knew how to walk and talk.

_One of the reasons I don't want to moto-cross_, she told herself.

_Screeeeecccch!_

Burning tires coming to a halt pierced the air. Her arms flew up to try to protect herself. A motorcycle stopped centimeters from her, and she could feel the air erupt around her. When the dust cleared, she waved the air in front of her. Coughing, she tried to work up a good yell.

"Excuse me?" she roared as she slapped the handlebars of the motorcycle. "In case you haven't noticed, the dirt pits are over there, not here," she circled to stand near the rider. She noticed that his primary color was yellow and various logos were patched on his suit. She couldn't see his expression for he had his helmet on. She stared at the black reflective surface of the glass, knowing that her stare pierced through the surface. Years of having brothers wear those racing helmets taught her that even though it seemed they couldn't see her glare, they sure felt the heat of it. It was the look her mother gave her dad whenever she was angry at him for racing out so late.

Jules looked at her reflection on the helmet, noting how her hair now came to just below her shoulders, her bangs doing a zigzag dance above her forehead. Her Asian eyes narrowed even further as she continued to stare down at the offending rider.

The rider couldn't take her gaze anymore, and he lifted his helmet off his head. Once he did, Jules wished he hadn't. She would have rather stared at the helmet than his hazel green eyes that looked out from under thick black lashes. His olive skin and mahogany brown curls, all glinting beneath the sun was stunning. She dared not rove his chiseled cheekbones, his strong jaw, his dry lips, slight rubble about his chin…

"Miss, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," he apologized, kicking the stand into position and stepping away from his motorcycle. He placed his helmet on his motorbike and came to stand in front of Jules.

_Oh no, so close to him,_ she barely breathed. She couldn't deny he was eye-candy, but wait! She was supposed to be furious with him, not mooning over him!

"What? You didn't _see_ a pedestrian?" she angrily put her hands on her hips. "What were you doing? Off with the fairies?"

"Huh?" he asked. _Ok, clearly he didn't understand_, thought Jules.

"Are you a space case or something?" rephrased Jules before she could stop herself. She clamped her mouth with her hand in response. _Oh wow, way to go for first impressions, Jules_. Instead of getting a retort, he actually laughed. Now it was Jules' time to go, "Huh?"

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he laughed. He brought his hand to his hair and ruffled it. Jules found that action cute, and she had to fight having to sigh like a puppy-loved grade-school girl.

She couldn't stay mad at him; she found him good looking and good humored as well, not to mention he sounded sincere with his apologies.

_Three strikes, Jules,_ she reflected. With Jules, any guy that got a three-strike impression on her in anyway was either extremely good or extremely bad. In this case, it was the former.

"Look, I'm really sorry," he repeated. He put his hands together in front of him in prayer and bowed before Jules. Jules looked around her, thanking the heavens that there weren't many bystanders to see this episode. She gently tapped his hands, and he looked up at her.

"It's ok, apology accepted," Jules nodded. She let some of her anger slip away and managed a smile.

"Great! I'm Dustin by the way," he held out his hand to her.

"I'm Jules," she shook his hand. She looked at him and tilted her head to one side. "So, are you racing or freestyling?"

"Um, I race, but I'm seriously thinking about switching to freestyling – wait a sec, you know about moto-cross?" he sounded stunned.

"Maybe a bit," she winked. His face lit up like a candle.

"Oh, cool! This is awesome, I mean, not a lot of chicks dig motorbikes. Finally, I can talk to someone about moto-cross."

"Wait, you mean, you don't have anyone to talk with?" they started walking. The scenery was green, shady trees, trailers, and the refreshment stands, which they were heading for. If one could put out the constant buzz and drone of various motorbikes racing around the bit, the setting was almost good enough for a date.

_Ugh, Jules! Ok, you find this guy cute, but at the moment, he's more interested in dirt pits than asking you out for popcorn._

"True, true," mumbled Jules.

"What was that?" he stopped. Jules looked back at him, shaking her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, just thinking. You were saying?"

"I have friends, it's just that all of them are already either moto-cross racers, or skaters, or surfers. So yeah, they're already sports-minded – not that you're not already sports-minded," he quickly added, seeing Jules give him a look. "What I mean is – uh, wait," he ruffled his hair again, thinking.

_If he doesn't quit the action quick, my knees might just buckle_, giggled Jules. He looked at her.

"Oh, I'm not laughing at you," she explained. "You just look cute when you do that with your hair." She realized what she said, turned around and took a breath. _Give yourself away, why don't you?_ "Uh, I mean, its fine," she faced him, "I understand what you're saying, no offense taken." She looked across the pits, focusing on finding her brother.

"Whoa, hold on," he sounded amused. He stood close to Jules and had a huge grin on his face. "You think I'm cute?"

Jules frowned, but couldn't keep it for long. The look on his face made him look like he hit a jackpot. She wondered why. _I'm not that of a chick_, she thought. _Maybe he's psyched about the part that I'm knowledgeable about something he's into._ At that thought, Jules had to laugh. _Yeah right!_

"Does that laugh mean a yes?"

Jules brought herself back to the present. She faced Dustin with a raised brow.

"Ok, I admit you're easy on the eyes, but don't get your head too swelled, dude. Besides, I came here to find my brother, Nathan Gailes." The mere mention of his name sent Dustin into a row of "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jules was used to people getting all googly at the sight, sound, or mere allusion toward her father or her brothers, so she just stood there, waiting until Dustin was over with his spell.

"No way, dudette! He's your _brother_?" he was so enthused she was sure he was going to pounce on Nathan for an autograph the minute they found him.

"Would you like to see a DNA testing to back me up?" she sarcastically answered. She found his fervor, though not new to her, contagious. In the end, she conceded and told him about her life as a daughter and sister of Formula One racers, a skateboarding champion, and a moto-cross rider. As they circled the track, they found Nathan in conversation with two other racers. Their primary colors were red and blue. Nathan had his back to Jules and Dustin. The two riders caught sight of Dustin and started waving frantically.

"Dustin! Hey, dude," said the one in blue. "You are not going to believe this!" The Asian had a huge smile on his face.

"Yeah!" agreed the one in red. The tall blonde one had an equally large grin.

"Let me guess, Nathan Gailes?" questioned Jules. The red and blue riders were rendered speechless as the one they were talking with turned at the sound of her voice.

"Jules! Finally," said the star moto-cross racer. He smiled, stretching his hand to pull Jules into a bear hug. Nathan looked nothing like Jules. He resembled her other brothers who were all Caucasian in origin. Nathan had a mat of red curls and suntanned skin that flared pink-red due to his fair complexion. Out of the corner of her eye, Jules could see the two red and blue riders gape at them.

"Argh, Nath! I can't breath, you lug!" laughed Jules as she fought her way out of his arms for air. She dug into her bag and extracted his gloves. "There you go. Hey, guys," she waved at the red and blue riders. They stood like statues, their jaws dropped to the floor. Jules looked at Nathan, then at them, then at Dustin.

"Um, Dustin, I think your friends are frozen," she joked. Dustin stood between them and clapped their shoulders hard, sending settled dust on their suits flying.

"Dudes, snap out of it," laughed Dustin. When he caught sight of Nathan, he froze and dropped his jaw as well.

"Oh no, Nath," groaned Jules. She slapped his arm. "Now look what your celebrity status has done!" she waved her hand in front of the three, but their gazes were fixed on Nathan. _Why wouldn't they be? _Thought Jules. _They were looking at their idol_.

"Me?" shot back Nathan, his lips curving into a smile. "You would be in my pickle if you continued with your racing." Jules caught the same sad wonder on his face like the one Kelly had on earlier. He still couldn't figure out how his sister traded in her motorbike for books.

"Ha ha, no thanks," she patted his arm. "Well, I better hit the library if I'm going to finish my paper…" I looked at the three statues, "Think you can handle them?"

"All covered, little sis," he laughed.


	2. Chapter 2: Toys

_**Chapter 2: Toys**_

The waves crashed against the rocks. The sun had just lifted off the water's surface. The cerulean sky was quickly shifting into lighter degrees of blue. The day was just beginning. She heard footsteps behind her. She didn't even have to turn around.

"So, are we here to discuss my brother or YOGA?"

"You heard me? Man! I thought I had that whole stealth thing going on," complained Dustin. He took a seat on the sand next to her. "I'm never going to make it as a Ninja," he mumbled.

"Ninja?" repeated Jules. The look on Dustin's face told her he had spoken of something that shouldn't have been said. She placed a hand on his arm. "It's ok, you don't have to tell me anything."

"Really?" he looked relieved.

She turned to face the ocean once again and continued her meditation. She felt him restless next to her. She opened her eyes and turned to face him. "What's on your mind?"

He messed with his hair again, searching for the words to say. By now Jules knew when he did that with his hair, he was thinking deeply. _Ok, so he's cute when he thinks._ So, they talked about how their sudden move to Blue Bay Harbor: the Gailes brothers were going to compete in the X-Games held in Blue Bay Harbor, which was of course, sponsored by _Storm Chargers_.

"Hey, speaking of local celebrities, I'd like to know about the Power Rangers," began Jules. She noticed Dustin stopped breathing and swerved to look at her.

"What?" he gasped, a disbelieving look on his face. "Are you serious?" she noticed his voice sounded hesitant, yet excited at the same time.

"What? I know they stay in Blue Bay. What's that look supposed to be? One that says 'There's no such thing as Power Rangers,' or 'Aren't you too old to talk about them?'" she joked.

"Ahm…" he took a minute to think about it."It's just that, not a lot of people would come out into the open and talk about them like that." He shifted in his seat, avoiding her eyes.

"Like what? Dustin, I don't understand. I mean, they're heroes, and you act like its wrong to talk about them?" she let out a disgusted sigh. She got up and walked away.

"No, wait, Jules, I didn't mean it like that," he jogged to catch up with her.

"Then what do you mean?" she faced him. It took him a while to explain.

"It's just that… the look on your face, I mean, like you really want to get to know them, the Power Rangers I mean," he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Oh? I didn't know I had 'the look' on my face," giggled Jules. "I know the Power Rangers care enough to save our earth to stop Lothor and his henchmen from taking over." She looked and Dustin, and broke into laughter. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I didn't notice it at first!" she giggled harder and had to sit on the sand. Dustin just looked on, wondering what was going through her head.

"What?" he took his place next to her on the sand. When Jules caught her breath, she let out a long sigh.

"Dustin, no wonder you looked so guilty when I wanted to talk about the Power Rangers! I know your secret," she pointed an accusing finger at him, a smile on her face.

"Secret?" squeaked Dustin. "What secret?"

"Ah," Jules shook her head. "You're a fan of the Power Rangers like I am. I saw that spark in your eye when I first mentioned their names, and you looked like you wanted to boast but held it back. Am I right?" she poked his chest with her index finger, playing him. "I'm right, aren't I? Aren't I?"

Jules wanted to capture that confused - relieved - carefree look on Dustin's face forever. Too bad she didn't have a digital camera with her or her cellphone. _I guess I'll have to store that into my memory then,_ she laughed.

"Ok, ok, you got me Jules, yes, I am a fan of them, a big one. I mean, I even have the collectibles and toys, everything!" he waved his arms in enthusiasm. Jules settled back onto the sand, enjoying this moment with him.

"Collectibles! How cute," she admitted, "Now we have something else to talk about besides moto-cross," she added. She propped herself on her elbows, watching the swells of the sea, the soft sun rays shining down on them, the beautiful caress of the wind, and her new friend, laughing beside her.

"You know what, Jules?" Dustin sank down on his elbows and joined Jules.

"What's that?"

"These past days have been awesome. I mean, look at it, it's not everyday I get to hang with one of the most famous extreme sports figures, all in one weekend!" he gushed. She rolled her eyes at him.

"So, it's my dad and brothers you're so psyched about, huh?" she got off her elbows and sat up. "So, what are you doing here with me when you should be off with them?" she felt him sit up and stare at her. She faced him. "You can catch them at the pits, go on," she cajoled. She turned to face the sea, closing her eyes.

She felt him sit right next to her.

"I forgot to add: I also met the most amazing girl at the same time."

His voice was soft and just inches from her ear. She could feel his body's heat along her right side. She opened her eyes and turned to face him. She was stunned by his Latin features, especially his eyes. Now it was her turn to be caught in his gaze.

"You're pretty amazing yourself," she whispered back.

A spell seemed to drape around them. The scene before them appeared to ebb away as fast as the swells of the incoming waves. The sand beneath them, the sun, the sky, the wind, all seemed to blend into each other. All she could sense was him, his steady breathing, and how the distance between them started to close. When he was centimeters away, she felt his hand over hers. She leaned in at the same time he did.

The atmosphere suddenly felt heavier, red lightning streaked across the now gray and black sky. As quickly as the "storm" came, it left, but something was standing in the sun's light.

"Mind if we cut it?"


	3. Chapter 3: Recorded

_Chapter 3: Recorded_

_Where am I? I'm tied up!_

"Ah, welcome, my dear, to my ship," said a sinister voice behind Jules. She spun around.

"Lothor," she spat his name. The binds chewed into her wrists. She was seated on a stone chair. Lothor was seated on his "throne" with Marah and Capri oh either side of him.

"Oh, so nice to know you know my name," he cackled. "I hope you like the accommodations. Sorry for the slight drab," he explained. "It's under renovations." Suddenly, his goons appeared all around.

"Zurgayne, Joobo, Vexicus, Motodrone" Jules gasped. The generals turned at the sound of their name from the prisoner. "Ew, you guys look worse than the toy figurines."

"You'll pay for that," warned Zurgayne, pulling out his sword and point it at Jules.

A stream of giggles reached their ears. "Ha ha, that is so true!" squealed Marah. Capri wasn't far behind.

"Yeah, like ew," she agreed.

"Silence!" yelled Lothor. Then he turned to look at Jules, "I think we have just the thing that will defeat the Power Rangers."

"What's that, Uncle?" asked Marah.

"Not, 'what' my dear," he guffawed. "Who."

Back in Ninja Ops, Dustin ran into the room and stopped before Cam and Sensei.

"We've got to save her!" he hollered.

"Who?" asked Cam. Suddenly, Tori, Blake, Hunter, and Shane appeared next to him. The wind from their Ninja streaks ruffled his hair.

"Jules," he said. He turned to the others. "We were at the beach, we were talking, and then suddenly, Marah and Capri appear out of nowhere and kidnapped her. I tried to get her back, but there were too many Kelzaks," he sat down and hung his head.

"Dustin," Tori came and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Wow, this has really upset you." She softly laughed.

"Yeah," agreed Shane. "I thought I'd never see the day that Dustin would trip because of a girl," he shook his head. Tori shot him a look. "Sorry, bro."

"This doesn't have to do with the fact that she's Nathan Gailes' sister, is it?" asked Blake.

Hunter lightly hit Blake on his arm with the back of his hand. "Right! That's why her name sounded familiar."

"No, guys, really," he looked up at them. "I mean, yeah, she is a Gailes and everything, but I got to know her as a person, you know, as Jules, not as the sister of Nathan and part of the Gailes clan. She's one of a kind, and I feel bad that I couldn't protect her from Lothor," he raked his fingers through his hair.

"I understand your concern, Dustin," said Sensei, jumping through the air and landing on Dustin's knee. "For now, put your emotions aside and focus on the inner Ninja in you. Only then can you save her." He sprinted through the air and landed on the computer console. "Now, why does Lothor want Jules? What is it that she has?" asked Sensei in his forever calm voice. He turned to Dustin. "I believe you can answer this, Dustin."

Dustin got up on his feet and paced the room. He rested his chin on his knuckles as he thought. "I don't really know, Sensei. We weren't exactly chatting about Lothor and his goons."

"Well, there must have been something in your conversation to trigger his attention," said Cam, sitting in front of the console, tapping something out on the keyboard. "Maybe this will jog your memory," he pressed the center button. The screen flashed and on came an image of Dustin and Jules talking at the beach.

"What? No way! You were spying on us?" Dustin threw his hand up in the air. There were parts of the video he didn't want the others to see, most especially the part right before she got captured. Luckily, they weren't there yet. The conversation played on before them.

_"Hey, speaking of local celebrities, I'd like to know about the Power Rangers."_

_"What?" he gasped. "Are you serious?" _

_"What? I know they stay in Blue Bay. What's that look supposed to be? One that says 'There's no such thing as Power Rangers,' or 'Aren't you too old to talk about them?" she joked._

_"Ahm… It's just that, not a lot of people would come out into the open and talk about them like that." He shifted in his seat._

_"Like what? Dustin, I don't understand. I mean, they're heroes, and you act like it's wrong to talk about them?" She walked away._

_"No, wait, Jules, I didn't mean it like that." _

_"Then what do you mean?" she faced him._

_"It's just that… the look on your face, I mean, like you really want to get to know them, the Power Rangers I mean," he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding._

_"Oh? I didn't know I had 'the look' on my face. I know the Power Rangers care enough to save our earth to stop Lothor and his henchmen from taking over. Oh my gosh! I can't believe I didn't notice it at first!" she giggled then sat on the sand. Dustin looked on. _

_"What?" he sat next to her._

_"Dustin, no wonder you looked so guilty when I wanted to talk about the Power Rangers! I know your secret," she pointed an accusing finger at him._

_"Secret?" squeaked Dustin. "What secret?"_

"Yeah, Dustin," Blake looked at him, arms crossed. "Did you tell her anything about us?" the others turned and looked at Dustin as well. Dustin put up his hands in defense.

"No way, dude, I didn't tell or do anything to make her believe that we're the Power Rangers!" he said. He pointed to the console. "Look at the screen, we're not even done talking yet," and everyone tuned back to the conversation.

_"Ah," Jules shook her head. "You're a fan of the Power Rangers like I am. I saw that spark in your eye when I first mentioned their names, and you looked like you wanted to boast but held it back. Am I right?" she poked his chest with her index finger, playing him. "I'm right, aren't I? Aren't I?"_

There was a collective sigh among the Rangers.

_"Ok, ok, you got me Jules, yes, I am a fan of them, a big one. I mean, I even have the collectibles, comic books, toys, everything!" he waved his arms in enthusiasm. _

_"Collectibles! How cute," she admitted, "Now we have something else to talk about besides moto-cross," she added. _

Cam paused the video. He swiveled in his chair and faced the team. "So, maybe this snippet caught Lothor's interest," he explained.

"But Cam, lots of people talk about the Power Rangers. Why would Lothor decide to take her instead of the whole community that speaks about us?" asked Tori. Shane stood next to Dustin.

"Maybe," said the Red Ranger, "Lother might have thought, since she's a fan of the Power Rangers, she must know a lot about them."

"You think that's the reason why he took her?" asked Hunter. "Because she knows about the Power Rangers?"

"Well," said Blake, sitting next to Tori on the table, "She did mention she is a fan, and fans need to know a lot of dirt about their idols, so to speak. Hehe," sniggered Blake, "Kind of like us with Nathan, huh?" he nodded at Dustin.

"If that's the case," mused Dustin, "If what she says about being a big fan of the Power Rangers is true, then, like me, she knows our strengths…" he let that hang in the air. It was Shane who finished the sentence for all.

"And she knows our weaknesses."


	4. Chapter 4: Family First

_Chapter 4: Family First_

On Lothor's ship, she was placed on his "throne." No matter what he presented before her, she wouldn't give in.

"You honestly think you'll convince me to help you?" spat Jules. Her hands weren't bound anymore, but she was held in place by a force field conjured by Lothor.

"What? The riches and wealth of the universe won't turn you?" paced Lothor. He was getting frustrated. He put before her all the galactic monies he ever owned, his prizes, his trophies, clothes, jewelries, everything… nothing! He couldn't get her to talk. _Aha!_ Thought Lothor. A twisted thought was forming in his head.

"You are so sick," cried Jules from the throne. Before her, she saw images of her father and brothers competing at the X-Games. Suddenly the screen switched to a couple of Kelzaks.

"Maybe this will convince you," his sinister laugh filled her ears. She watched in horror as the kelzaks tampered with her father's race car, put bubblegum in the wheels of Grey's skateboard, and filled the oil tank of Nathan's motorbike with syrup.

"Stop this!" she screamed. Her father and brothers were going to be impaired before they had a chance to compete in the games.

"Their professional careers will be finished," taunted Lothor, the "remote control" in his hands, replaying the disgusting images over and over again. "And it will all be because of you, my dear," he guffawed. Marah, Capri, and his other generals joined in on the laughter. Suddenly he stopped laughing and faced her. "What's it going to be, Jules?"

A battle was going on inside her: save her family and help Lothor. Yes, family always came first.

Saving her family would mean the end of the Power Rangers.


	5. Chapter 5: Help

_Chapter 5: Help_

"Excellent!" rejoiced Lothor from the helm. "The Power Rangers are going to be erased from history forever!"

Jules hung her head low in shame. She had helped, of course. She had no choice. Right after she devised a plan to help Lothor, she demanded he undo what the kelzaks did to her father and brother's equipment. Like the lowlife he was, he simply said, "No."

"But I helped you!" she cried. Again the bonds were returned to her wrists as Lothor threw her at a corner.

"Yes, and like all villains, you shouldn't have trusted me, mwuahahahahahha!" he threw his head back with glee. Seething with anger, Jules tried to kick him but couldn't reach him anymore. He walked back to the helm and started shouting commands to Zurgayne. From the screen, the combat between the Power Rangers' Megazord and Zurgayne's Megazord erupted. No matter what the Rangers threw at Zurgayne, his zord was able to counter it with an even more powerful melee.

"Your plan is working brilliantly, Jules," mocked Lothor. Then he sighed. "I think I'll take a little nap." And then he left the bridge.

Looking desperately around her, Jules tried to loosen the binds, but they just bit harder into her skin. She stopped moving because she was afraid her veins at her wrist might be severed. Slumping back against the wall, she looked at the monitor before her.

"I'm sorry, Rangers," she sadly said, unheard by the struggling Rangers. The plan she had given Lothor was based on an episode she had seen on t.v. the Sentai series of Abarangers. She thought it was among the best episodes she had seen. She watched the series from the first season, and had all the seasons. She knew each of the rangers, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how team work and intelligence always gave them the upper hand.

In this episode, the evil side had made an exact replica of their weapons, resulting to a neutralization of powers whenever the evil one and the rangers battled using their weapons. The enemy upgraded his energy levels, thus causing the rangers a great blow and damage to their weapons and morphers. The rangers were literally battling against themselves for the enemy had everything they had. The replication of weapons happened every time the rangers pulled out their weapons. Instead of being destroyed, the evil one absorbed their energies and the encoded data of their weapons to make a replica the weapons.

Breathing deeply, she slowly stood up and looked at the monitor. "There was a way," she said to herself. She searched her memory. Like in every episode, the rangers triumphed over the evil one…but how? She looked at the monitor again, and saw the sparks and fire as Zurgayne's zord short-circuited the Power Rangers' Megazord. Even the Thunder Rangers' beetle zords were no match for Zurgayne: he blew them up.

How did the episode end? She looked at the console. She could destroy the data disk Zurgayne had of the Megazord. She hobbled over to the helm and searched for something round. No, it was in his Megazord, she scolded herself. Ok, Plan B.

"Think, Jules, think!" she whispered. Wait, if Lothor has a command center, then the Power Rangers must have one as well. "Ok, so the problem is finding it, oh wait, I'll just tell them to beam me up because I have a plan!" she smiled, hope returning. Ok, so getting in their command center isn't a problem. Now, what _is_ the plan?

"Hey you! What are you doing there?" came Capri's sharp voice. Startled, Jules jumped and turned. "You weren't going to press anything there, were you?" she suspiciously eyed Jules.

"Haha," Jules sarcastically laughed. She was tired of being tied up and pushed at whim and at will. It was about time she showed this space pirate who they were dealing with. "As if I could do that with my hands tied behind my back?"

"Wow, that would be so cool! Can I see that trick?" squealed Marah behind Capri. Capri roughly nudged Marah into silence.

"What do you want?" demanded Capri, her pink hair flying all over the place as she shook her head.

_Here's my chance to escape._ "Actually, I wanted to find the bathroom, because I have it." _Whaa…? That's my plan!_

"Have what?" wondered Marah.

"IT," imposed Jules. Didn't these girls have it, or are they really aliens? "You know, the monthly cycle, the period, _menstruation."_

"Oh! That, haha," laughed Marah, "I knew that," she nodded. Then, "Ah! You have it? Right now?" she shrieked.

"Yeah," lied Jules, "But I don't have any pads up here, it's down there at earth, and I can't very well put them on with my hands tied behind my back, now can I?" she made her voice sound a little nervous to add the right tone.

"Oh, don't worry, we'll get you some – "

"Wait," said Capri, "This could be a trick."

"Aw, Capri, I don't think so," said Marah. "C'mon, I'll get you some," Marah led Jules out of the bridge and down some corridors. As they walked, Jules asked what were in each room, feigning interest in Lothor's warship. Jules couldn't thank the heavens more enough when Marah pointed out the teleporters, which were next door to the bathroom. When Jules was "finished" putting on her pad, she quietly made her way to the teleporters. It took a second to understand the controls. Without hesitation, she got in and pressed the buttons.

"Thank you, Marah," she whispered before she felt herself dissolve into atoms.


	6. Chapter 6: The Command Center

_Chapter 6: The Command Center_

"What are we going to do?" demanded Dustin. The Megazord was totaled. Their morphers were temporarily offline. And they were badly beaten up and bruised. They needed a plan, and fast.

"Isn't there anyway to beat them?" cried Tori. Her hair was in disarray.

"It's like fighting ourselves; what we have, Zurgayne has, only twice as stronger," complaied Shane, sporting a bruise on his right cheek.

"Ah!" Blake cradled his right ribs. "I can't even stand up straight," Tori helped him sit down on the table.

"Sensei, isn't there a way?" asked Hunter. The guinea pig turned and faced his rangers.

"There is always a solution, Rangers," he dictated. Suddenly, the screen on the console turned on.

"Rangers, Power Rangers! If you can hear me, please, I need to speak with you!"

The Rangers rushed toward the screen, Cam typing and pushing buttons to focus on the person on screen. The image zoomed up and sharpened.

"It's Jules!" exclaimed Dustin, a wild smile on his face. Suddenly his face contorted into a frown. "She looks –"

"I know how to defeat Zurgayne's Megazord! Please, beam me up to whatever command center you have, I don't want Lothor to find me again," gasped Jules. With the speakers on full volume, Dustin could hear her labored breath. She doubled over, unable to keep standing.

"We have to bring her to Ninja Ops," said Dustin, turning to his team.

"What! Here?" Shane walked up to him. "Hello? Dude, if she gets in here, she'll know who we are!"

"We'll be morphed," shot back Dustin. "We can't leave her out there," he pointed at the screen. "What if Lothor kidnaps her again?" He looked at each of his teammates, searching for an ally. Each one either looked down or away. Finally, Sensei spoke.

"Fetch her, Dustin, and all of you, morph. Quickly, time is of the essence."

When she awoke, she felt not the forest floor beneath her, but a mattress and a pillow. Her hands weren't bound behind her anymore, and her clothes –

She sat up quickly, realizing that she was wearing a kimono-robe, not the ripped track suit she had on earlier. Like an iron ball, a shockwave of pain forced a gut-splitting howl from her lips. She fell back onto the mattress with a thud, a low moan escaping her throat as she tried to pin-point where the pain was coming from. Suddenly, figures appeared before her. Her vision swam, the walls of the room she saw continuously ebbed like the tide of the ocean.

"It's ok, Jules, you're safe here," said one of the figures. Jules tried opening her eyes, and when she did, she let out a ragged laugh.

"Did I die getting off that ship? Is this for real?" she joked. The pain hit her once again, her abdomen screaming with pain. "Oh fudge, no, I'm very much alive," she answered her own question.

"What did Lothor do to you?" asked another figure. This time it sounded like a girl's voice. Jules forced her eyelids to open.

"The Power Rangers?" she asked, not believing what was before her. "Either that or I'm seeing a rainbow-colored medical staff."

"Yes," said another voice, "We are the Power Rangers. Jules, tell us what happened." _Ugh,_ thought Jules. _Can I just doze off for a few hours?_ But something nudged her awake, and she forced herself to retell the events that happened on Lothor's ship. When she got to the part that she was brutally beaten up by Vexecus when she refused to help them at first, Jules could have sworn the Yellow Ranger clench his fists. After she told the part about Zurgayne gaining a Megazord through her help, she wanted to melt into nothingness. The tears started, the tight-throated feeling of guilt gripped her, intensifying the wounds she sported.

"I'm so sorry, Rangers! I was left with no choice: Lothor was going to sabotage my father and brothers in the X-Games if I didn't help him. He tampered with their equipment before the competitions," sobbed Jules. "I couldn't let them do that! I had to stop Lothor, and so I helped him– " her breath wheezed through her air canal. The Yellow and Crimson Ranger helped her into a sitting position thought it was painful.

"Sabotage the Gailes?" the Navy Ranger's tone was angry. "He's a sick dude," he swore.

"It's ok, Jules," said the Blue Ranger. "We're not angry with you; family comes first, and you did what you thought would save them," she stroked Jules' hair. Suddenly Jules gasped.

"Their equipment! It's been messed with by the Kelzaks!" Jules glanced at her wrist watch. "Their events are about to start; they can't race or they'll be toast!"

"We're on it," said the Crimson and Navy Rangers, and they were gone in a blink of an eye.

"Now, Jules," said the Red Ranger, the leader. "How do we stop Zurgayne's Megazord? Everything we throw at it, it hits us back plus more power, it's like fighting ourselves," he squatted down so their faces were level. Jules could see her reflection on his mask, just like when her father wore his racing helmet. _I wonder who's under there?_ Jules shook her head, getting out of her daydreaming. _Hello, girly, you know they have their secret identities; that's part of being a ranger._

"Um," thought Jules, biting her lip. "I saw this episode before, in the Abaranger Sentai series, it's based on the real Power Rangers. Ok," she searched her memory for what had happened in that episode. Suddenly she remembered. "Oh ha! I got it, but I don't think you'll be able to defeat Zurgayne the way they defeated the Goldar in the series. After all, that was tv, this is real life. I remember knocking Nathan with a pillow because he was–" a wave of sadness overcame her, rendering her silent.

"What is it, Jules?" asked the Blue Ranger. Jules turned to her and sadly smiled.

"Do you think Crimson and Navy Ranger got to them in time? I don't want to see them in the E.R," she half-joked, but the other half which wasn't a joke scared her.

"They did," said a different voice. Jules looked past the Rangers and saw a fourth figure sitting in front of what looked like a huge computer console. He was the Green Ranger. "Look, they've managed to convince the judges to reschedule the games until after all the equipments are checked, even for the other riders. We don't know how many the Kelzaks messed with."

"Smart move," nodded Jules. Then she turned back to the Red, Blue, and Yellow Rangers. "Ok, here's the plan."


	7. Chapter 7: True Colors

_Chapter 7: True Colors_

The X-Games were a success, Blue Bay was safe, and the Power Rangers once again saved the day. After the closing ceremony of the X-Games, the Power Rangers made an appearance at the arena, stunning everyone with their grand entrance via Power-Gliders. Once the crowd was settled, the Red Ranger took the floor.

"We wouldn't be here if it weren't for the help of a special person. Even in the face of danger, even when she was in the grip of Lothor and his goons, she managed to even the odds, save herself, get to us, and help us come up with a plan to defeat Zurgayne's Megazord. Her plan was a brilliant one, and to understand it fully, we must start from the beginning. Lothor kidnapped her to get her to come up with a plan to destroy us, the Power Rangers. Lothor's plan nearly succeeded, Zurgayne's Megazord was as powerful as our own Megazord. It was like fighting an exact replica of ourselves, but she came up with a counter-plan: in its simplicity came the assuredness of its completion. She proposed that we distract Zurgayne's Megazord with a skirmish while Yellow Ranger would sneak into Zurgayne's Megazord and steal the disk that copied the information of our zords. Once that was done, we blasted Zurgayne with all the power we had, resulting to a power overload on his Megazord. We destroyed the disk afterwards, thus saving Blue Bay once again. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's give it up for Jules Gailes!"

The entire arena stood up and applauded. Jules couldn't believe her ears. Her father and brothers were looking at her with pride and respect, Nathan nudged her to go to the center of the arena where the Rangers stood. With a deep breath, she made her way to them. Sudden pain shot through her legs, reminding her to take it easy. Suddenly, she felt like she was on a speeding train, and found herself standing with the Rangers. She looked and saw that she was in the arms of the Yellow Ranger. She let out a laugh, realizing that he had used his Ninja streak to get her to them.

"Mind if we borrow her for a minute, Mr. Gailes?" asked the Yellow Ranger. "We'd like to thank her, Ranger style," he said through the mike. Jules turned to look at her father and brothers. Since they were all "Mr. Gailes," she saw all of them nod with consent. The crowd was hushed as a second later, the Rangers were gone, the streaks of their colors already in the distance.

The Rangers had brought her to a waterfall in the forest. The Yellow Ranger set her down gently.

"What is this place?" asked Jules, looking around her. Before her were the six rangers: Red, Yellow, Blue, Crimson, Navy, and Green. She bowed her head, smiling.

"It's the entrance to our command center, as you like calling it," said the Green Ranger. Jules lifted her head, nodding.

"This is an honor, Rangers, thank you," she looked at each of them. "I understand you cannot reveal your identity, for that secrecy is what will keep you alive, though I'm pretty sure Lothor already knows who each of you are. I'm talking about the public, the people, your fans," she said. "I call it a command center because that's what the first Power Rangers called their meeting place with their leader."

"Whoa, wait," said the Crimson Ranger. "What do you mean 'the first Power Rangers?'" Jules looked at him, raising her brows.

"You didn't expect to be the first rangers of your kind, now did you?" asked Jules. That's when the Yellow Ranger piped up.

"Yeah, dudes! Power Rangers go all the way back to 1994!"

Jules smiled, "I guess someone's been doing their history homework," she teased. The Blue Ranger came and sat down next to her.

"How do you know this, Jules?" she asked. Jules momentarily looked away. Silence enveloped them all. When she came to her decision, she faced them again.

"I choose to tell you this because if I don't, it would be an insult to my sister's memory." The Rangers came closer, some sat down, some remained standing, but it was obvious they wanted to listen.

"Sister? There's another Gailes sibling?" asked the Green Ranger. Jules looked at him and sadly shook her head.

"No, Green Ranger, she was not."

"Was?" repeated the Red Ranger. "Do you mean…?"

"Yes," nodded Jules. "She's gone, but still in my memory. You see, I was not always a Gailes." She saw the Rangers stir, especially the Yellow one. "I used to be a Wang. The Gailes adopted me, as are the other Gailes children. So you see, Grey, Rex, Nathan, Erik, Mama and Papi Gailes, we're not blood-related." She sighed, "But they're my family. Family is more than just blood-connection; it's connecting with the mind, heart, and soul."

"But, how is this related to your sister?" asked the Navy Ranger.

"My sister, Trini, was the original Yellow Ranger. She told me not to tell anyone her secret. Of course she told me this when she wasn't a Ranger anymore, and was going to Geneva as an ambassador. After the car crash, everything changed. Mami and Pa drifted apart, I began living with relative after relative, until I ended up in an orphanage. It wasn't because they didn't love me, no. I know Mami and Pa love me; we just admitted that we didn't act like a family anymore, and there were financial strains as well. I understood their decision. I'm not angry at them, I love them dearly."

The hushed atmosphere embraced the Rangers. Even the volume of the waterfall seemed to mute when the weight of what Jules had just told them sank in.

"Oh, how I had dreamed of being a Power Ranger, to know what it feels like. Trini loved it, and she had found her friends there. But I understand if Fate has other plans for me. Look at it: I'm in the presence of the Power Rangers! I'm sure Trini's up there, smiling her sunshine yellow smile at me," Jules looked to the sky and opened her arms wide, as if basking in the sun's rays.

"We had no idea how much you loved the Power Rangers," came the Green Ranger's hushed voice. Jules looked at them once again.

"You're the only ones who know. Even the Gaileses don't know that Trini, my sister, was a Power Ranger. I felt like I could share that secret with you, since you know what she went through. Maybe that's the reason I came to admire you guys, and all the Power Rangers to come: this is as close I'll get to my sister now."

"What if…" said the Green Ranger, "You _became_ a Power Ranger?" the Rangers and Jules collectively gasped.

"Is that even possible?" asked the Crimson Ranger. "Where are you going to get another morpher?"

"Hello, I built the zords, the morphers, I'm sure I can whip up something."

"Amazing," gasped Jules, "When it was in Trini's time, their technology came from space, and now, you can get your zords built here on earth! Wow," she gasped again.

"You sure know a lot," said the Yellow Ranger, "How do you know so much? I mean, aside from your sister's 411?"

Jules smiled. "I mentioned that she had friends in her Rangers. I'm still in touch with them, and throughout the years, they've been like an extended family of mine. Apparently they made a promise to Trini that they would watch out for me, and they have. I won't reveal who they are, of course, that as part of the deal."

"Oh wow, this is exciting!" said the Blue Ranger, "Another girl Ranger, I won't be the only girl anymore!" she took Jules' hand and squeezed it with delight.

"Do I have a choice of color, or is it Pink?" asked Jules, laughing with the Blue Ranger.

"Pink? Why Pink?" asked the Crimson Ranger.

"Well, Yellow, which traditionally was a girl Ranger's color, is now taken by a male. Or, I could be Black, or White, though Black has always been a boy's color, just like Red, but there has been girl White rangers instead of Pink. In different teams, if there's no Pink there's White, and if there's no Black, there's Green, and vice versa." Jules turned to the Green Ranger, "I guess I can't be Black, so it's either Pink or White."

"Are you sure you want to become a Power Ranger?" asked the Red Ranger. Jules stood up and faced the Rangers.

"I am deeply honored that you would consider me joining your team, but…" she took a deep breath. "The Gailes are leaving Blue Bay in two days. As much as I want to continue on my sister's legacy, I have a feeling now is not the time, but that time will come, I feel it." She went around to each of them and hugged them individually, saying her thanks.

"When I'm in Blue Bay, I'll be certain to give you guys a holler. After all, you have your command center, I think it can pick up my voice?" she teasingly smiled at the Green Ranger. Jules hugged the Blue Ranger, "Don't worry, I don't think you'll be the only girl for too long. But trust me, being the only girl has its perks." The Blue Ranger nodded and giggled.

When she went around the circle, she hugged the Yellow Ranger last. "For some reason, I feel like I know you," said Jules. Then she smiled. "Then again, maybe I don't. Who knows who's under that helmet?" She knew the Yellow Ranger couldn't say more, so she accepted his nod. He offered to take her to her house, and she accepted. After saying her farewells to the Rangers, she got behind the Yellow Ranger on his motor-bike and sped through the forest. Once they were near her house, they decided to walk the rest of the way so as not to disturb the neighbors. When at the back door, she turned and faced him.

"Thank you, Yellow Ranger, for bringing me home."

"That's ok, it was my pleasure, and honor," he bowed. Jules rolled her eyes and laughed.

"We seem to be talking much about honor today," she joked. "Kidding aside, I had a great time." Then she let out a soft giggle, "This sounds like we just came back from a date, doesn't it," she kidded.

"Hey, it does!" laughed the Yellow Ranger. "You know, I wish I could tell you who I was, but that would be–"

"Breaking the rules," they both said at the same time. "I know, so don't feel bad," reassured Jules.

"While you're off traveling the world with the Gailes clan, think about that position in our team, we could use another Ranger, Pink, White, or whatever color you want," he said.

Jules felt a smile pull at the corners of her lips. "Yeah," she nodded, "I think I will." After one final hug, the Yellow Ranger stepped back and bowed.

"Good night and farewell, Julia Gailes," he said, and streaked off into the night.

Jules looked up at the full moon, leaning against the backdoor, smiling. That day had brought her closer to being a Power Ranger, maybe one day she would be one. Only Fate had the cards to that. Pulling her jacket tighter around her, she glanced at the place where the Yellow Ranger disappeared.

"Good night… Dustin."

* * * The End * * *


End file.
